No man ever spoke like this Man! John 7:46.

The educated were charmed with Christ’s teaching, and the uneducated were always profited, for He appealed to their understanding. His illustrations were taken from the things of daily life, and although they were simple, they had in them a wonderful depth of meaning. The fowls of the air, the lilies of the field, the seed, the shepherd and his sheep—with these objects, Christ illustrated immortal truth; and ever afterward when His hearers chanced to see these things in nature, they recalled His words. Christ’s illustrations constantly repeated His lessons.

Christ always used the most simple language, yet His words were received by deep, unprejudiced thinkers, for they were words that tested their wisdom. Spiritual things should always be presented in simple language even though learned men are being addressed, for such are generally ignorant regarding spiritual things. The simplest language is the most eloquent…. Christ’s words, so comforting and cheering to those that listened to them, are for us today. As a faithful shepherd knows and cares for his sheep, so Christ cares for His children…. Christ knows His sheep intimately, and the suffering and helpless are objects of His special care….

Christ did not design that His words should return to Him void…. He Himself wrote nothing; but the Holy Spirit brought all His words and acts to the remembrance of His disciples, that they might be recorded for our benefit. Christ’s instruction was given with the greatest clearness. There was no need for anyone to misunderstand. But the scribes and Pharisees … misconstrued and misapplied His words. The utterances which were the bread of life to starving souls were bitterness to the Jewish rulers….

In His sermon on the mount, Christ spoke as though He knew that the scribes and Pharisees believed the Old Testament. They were in that gathering, and the disciples were close beside their beloved Teacher. There Christ declared, “Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” By His words He condemned their formalism and hypocrisy. And though applying directly to those before Him, these words apply also to those of this age who do not the will of God. They are far-reaching, and come sounding down the ages to our time.—The Review and Herald, May 18, 1897.

From From the Heart

To everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. Matthew 25:29.

Those who accept Jesus as their personal Savior will live lives of humility, patience, and love. They did not give themselves to the Lord for the sake of the profit they should receive. They have become one with Christ, as Christ is one with the Father, and daily they receive their reward in being partakers of the humility, the reproach, the self-denial, and the self-sacrifice of Christ. They find their joy in keeping the Lord’s ordinances. In true service they find hope, and peace, and comfort; and with faith and courage they go forward in the path of obedience, following Him who gave His life for them. By their consecration and devotion they reveal to the world the truth of the words, “I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.”

“They that feared the Lord,” writes the prophet Malachi, “spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name.” Were the words spoken, words of complaint, of faultfinding, of self-sympathy? No; in contrast to those who speak against God, those who fear Him speak words of courage, of thankfulness, and of praise. They do not cover the altar of God with tears and lamentations; they come with faces lighted up with the beams of the Sun of Righteousness, and praise God for His goodness.

Such words make all heaven rejoice. Those who utter them may be poor in worldly possessions, but by faithfully giving to God the portion He claims, they acknowledge their indebtedness to Him. Self-serving does not make up the chapters of their life history. In love and gratitude, with songs of joy upon their lips, they bring their offerings to God, saying as did David, Of Thine own we freely give Thee. “And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.” …

Those who truly serve God will fear Him, but not as did the unfaithful servant, who hid his talent in the earth because he was afraid the Lord would receive His own. They will fear to dishonor their Maker by failing to improve their talents.—The Review and Herald, January 5, 1897.

From From the Heart

Then he who had received the one talent came and said, “Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground.” Matthew 25:24, 25.

The teaching of this parable is plain. All the gifts of intellect or of property which anyone has are entrusted to him. They are the Lord’s goods, and are to be used to His honor and glory. They are to be improved and increased by use, that the Lord may receive returns from them. But the Lord receives no returns from many talents; for, like the unfaithful servant, those to whom they are entrusted put them where they are not increased.

All in whose hearts selfishness is cherished will listen to the temptations of Satan and will act the part of the unfaithful, slothful servant. They will hide their entrusted treasure, neglecting to use their talents for the Lord…. They have sown sparingly, or not at all, and they will reap sparingly. But although the Lord has told them this in words too plain to be honestly misconstrued, they cherish dissatisfaction in their hearts, and complain that the Lord is a hard master, that they are dealt hardly and unjustly with….

Today this work is being done by many who claim to know God. They speak in a repining, complaining manner of the Lord’s requirements. They do not directly charge God with being unjust, but they complain of everything touching the question of using their influence or their means in His service. Whoever they may be, if those to whom the Lord has entrusted His gifts do not make the best use of their endowments, if they do not cooperate with the heavenly angels by trying to be a blessing to their fellow human beings, they will receive the denunciation from the Lord, Thou wicked and slothful servant. You had My gifts to use, but you neglected to use them…. You, who thought you knew so much, wickedly misrepresented Me and led others to think that I was unjustly hard and exacting. “Cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” In that day these unfaithful servants will see their mistake and will realize that by selfishly putting their talents where the Lord could receive no increase from them, they have not only lost all they had but have lost also the eternal riches.—The Review and Herald, January 5, 1897.

From From the Heart

Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Matthew 25:1. (Read Matthew 25:13.)

Though five of these virgins are represented as wise and five as foolish, all had lamps. They had all been convicted that they must prepare for the coming of the bridegroom, and all had gained a knowledge of the truth. There was no apparent difference between the wise and the foolish until the cry was made, “Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet Him,” but the true state of things was then developed. The wise had taken precautions to carry oil with them in their vessels, so that their lamps that were beginning to burn dimly might be replenished with oil; but the foolish had not provided for this emergency, and now they made an earnest, distressed petition to those who were wise…. They had neglected to prepare themselves to meet the bridegroom, and now turned to those who had provided themselves with oil….

In reading this parable one cannot but pity the foolish virgins and ask the question, Why is it that the wise did not divide their supply of oil? But as we make the spiritual application of the parable, we can see the reason. It is not possible for those who have faith and grace to divide their supply with those who have not. It is not possible for those who have made a thorough heart work, to impart the benefit of this to those who have done but surface work…. All the ten virgins appeared to be ready for the coming of the bridegroom, and yet the test brought out the fact that five were unready….

The foolish virgins do not represent those who are hypocritical. They had a regard for truth, they advocated the truth, they were intending to go forth to meet the bridegroom. They are attached to those who believe the truth, and go with them, having lamps, which represent a knowledge of the truth….

Many receive the truth readily, but they fail to assimilate truth, and its influence is not abiding. They are like the foolish virgins, who had no oil in their vessels with their lamps. Oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit, which is brought into the soul through faith in Jesus Christ. Those who earnestly search the Scriptures with much prayer, who rely upon God with firm faith, who obey His commandments, will be among those who are represented as wise virgins.—The Review and Herald, September 17, 1895.

From From the Heart

If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:31, 32.

Jesus says, “Learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” Jesus was the greatest teacher the world ever knew. He presented truth in clear, forcible statements, and the illustrations He used were of the purest and highest order….

In His sermon on the mount, Christ gave the true interpretation to the Old Testament Scriptures, expounding the truth that had been perverted by the rulers, the scribes, and the Pharisees. What a vast meaning does He give to the law of God! He Himself had given the law when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy. Christ Himself was the foundation of the whole Jewish economy, the end of types, symbols, and sacrifices. Enshrouded in the pillar of cloud, He Himself had given specific directions to Moses for the Jewish nation, and He was the only one who could disperse the multitude of errors that through human maxims and traditions had accumulated about the truth….

He set the truth on high, in order that like a light it might illuminate the moral darkness of the world. He rescued every gem of truth from the rubbish of human maxims and traditions, and exalted the truth to the throne of God from whence it had issued….

His course was in such marked contrast to the course of the scribes and Pharisees and the religious teachers of that day, that they were made manifest as whited sepulchers, hypocritical pretenders to religion, who sought to exalt themselves by a profession of holiness, while within they were full of ravening and all uncleanness. They could not tolerate true holiness, true zeal for God, which was the distinguishing feature of the character of Christ; for true religion cast a reflection upon their spirit and practices….

In the heart of Jesus there was hatred of nothing save sin. They could have received Him as the Messiah had He simply manifested His miracle-working power and refrained from denouncing sin, from condemning their corrupt passions, and from pronouncing the curse of God upon their idolatry; but since He would give no license to evil, though He healed the sick, opened the eyes of the blind, and raised the dead, they had nothing for the divine Teacher but bitter abuse, jealousy, envy, evil-surmising, and hatred.—The Review and Herald, August 6, 1895.

From From the Heart